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AG to file indictments against Sarath Kumara Gunaratne and others

The CID conducting investigations against former Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne and five others for allegedly misappropriating Rs.12 million of public funds allocated for the Negombo Lagoon Development Project today informed Court that the Attorney General is expecting to file indictments in the High Court against the suspects.

When the case came up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara, the CID informed court that they have sought Attorney General’s advice regarding the case. The Attorney General will soon file indictments against the suspects. Further magisterial inquiry into the incident was fixed for March 22.

Six suspects including former Fisheries Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, his son-in-law Upul Chaminda Kumarasinghe and four other officials at Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation (CFHC) had been arrested by the CID for the alleged misappropriation of Rs. 12 million belonging to CFHC during the last Presidential election. They are currently out on bail.

In this case, the CID had named six individuals including Gunaratne as the suspects following the instructions of Attorney General. The Special Presidential Investigation Commission had recommended that the Attorney General’s advice be sought to institute legal action against the persons responsible for the alleged financial frauds.